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Reported by Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a surprising turn of events, 45-year-old Zoe Suzan Wiencek was apprehended on allegations of biting a security guard at a Publix store following a failed attempt to steal a sandwich.
According to an officer from the Gainesville Police Department, the incident unfolded around 5:34 p.m. on March 7. Wiencek reportedly walked into Publix located at 1302 N. Main St., picked up a pre-packaged sandwich from the deli, and attempted to leave the premises without paying.
An alert store employee noticed Wiencek bypassing the checkout counters with the sandwich. Both the employee and a security guard intercepted her, after which she handed the sandwich back to the employee but continued to exit with the security guard.
Once outside, the security guard requested Wiencek to remain on site until the authorities arrived. Wiencek allegedly grew agitated, head-butting the guard. In the ensuing struggle, she is accused of biting the guard’s right hand, causing a skin-breaking injury.
The officer reported that surveillance video corroborated the accounts of the employee and security guard. After Wiencek was placed in handcuffs, she allegedly refused to identify herself multiple times; she was eventually identified by her fingerprints at the jail.
Wiencek, who is described as homeless on court documents, has been charged with battery on a security guard, petit theft, and resisting an officer without violence. She has three felony convictions (non-violent) and 12 misdemeanor convictions (two violent). She was arrested in November after trying to spit on a deputy and reportedly telling him to “Enjoy the AIDS”; after entering a plea of nolo contendere to five misdemeanor charges in that case, she was sentenced to 12 months of probation in January.
Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $9,000 on the new charges.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.